This invention relates generally to a clip for fastening an article to a panel having a hole wherein the clip has a self-expanding head that is pushed through the hole to engage a back side of the panel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,731 granted to Katsuhito Hironaka et al. Sep. 23, 1997 discloses a component such as a clip for fastening an article, in this case a wiring harness, to a panel having a hole. The clip has a self expanding head that comprises a pillar extending from a base, and a pair of flexible retaining pieces that extend from the free end of the pillar in a folded or cantilever fashion back toward the base. The free ends of the flexible retaining pieces have step sections for engaging the back side of the panel when the self-expanding head is pushed through the hole in the panel. The flexible retaining pieces are collapsed as the self expanding head is pushed into the hole. When the step sections pass through the hole, the flexible retaining pieces expand outwardly and engage the back side of the panel trapping the panel between the step sections of the flexible pieces and the base of the clip.
The step sections at the free ends of the flexible retaining pieces have a plurality of engagement sections so that the clip can be used with panels of different thicknesses and still engage the back side of the panels as illustrated in FIG. 10(a) of the Hironaka et al. '731 patent.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0284486 A1 of Dale J. Smutny et al. dated Dec. 13, 2007 discloses another clip that also fastens an article, such as a wiring harness to a panel having a hole. The clip has a different arrangement for attaching the clip to the panel using the hole that extends through the panel. This arrangement also includes a base and a self-expanding head that is attached to the base and that is insertable into the hole of the panel. The self-expanding head has two sets of flexible legs that are attached to a column structure and extend back toward the base in cantilver fashion. The free ends of the flexible legs provide three sets of retention shoulders for engaging the back side of the panel whereby the clip can be used with panels of different thicknesses.
Clips with known arrangements of a base and a self-expanding head of the types described above have been used successfully for many years. However, further arrangements that provide one or more advantages and/or improvements are possible.